cgi (common gateway interface) CGI (Common Gateway Interface) A technology used in web servers to generate a web page in response to a user input. computers and networks programming spam spam Unsolicited email message or newsgroup posting sent to many recipients or newsgroups at once. computers and networks absolute path absolute path A complete pathname that is independent of the current file location. Includes the root directory of a file or complete URL of a web page. computers and networks internet access time access time Measurement of the amount of time it takes the process to read data, instructions, and information from memory. computers and networks storage media bandwidth bandwidth The amount of data that can travel over a communications channel in a fixed amount of time. computers and networks internet broadband broadband Type of media that transmits multiple signals simultaneously. computers and networks internet data data Pieces of information, including text, numbers, images, audio, and video. computers and networks databases internet protocol (IP) address internet protocol (IP) address A number that identifies each connection to a network. It takes the form of four numbers separated by periods. computers and networks internet internet Internet Worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals. computers and networks internet pixel pixel The smallest element in an electronic image. Short for picture element. computers and networks multimedia relative path relative path A partial path that is relative to the current file location. computers and networks internet system software system software The interface between the user, the application software, and the computer's hardware. computers and networks computers and networks analog analog Continuous (wave form) signals. computers and networks application service provider (ASP) application service provider (ASP) A third-party organization that manages and distributes software and services on the Web, so programs are run from the Internet rather than installed on the user's computer. computers and networks application application Software programs designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks. computers and networks arithmetic logic unit (ALU) arithmetic logic unit (ALU) Component of a processor that performs arithmetic, comparison, and other operations. computers and networks audio input audio input Process of entering any sound, such as speech, music, and sound effects, into the computer. computers and networks basic input output system (BIOS) basic input output system (BIOS) Built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing any programs and controls start-up. computers and networks bay bay Opening inside the system unit in which additional equipment can be installed. computers and networks binary digit binary digit See bit. computers and networks binary system binary system Number system used by computers that has just two unique digits, 0 and 1, called bits. computers and networks bit (b) bit (b) The smallest unit of data a computer can process, equal to 1/8 of a byte. Bit is short for binary digit. computers and networks bus bus In a computer, the electrical channel that transfers electronic bits internally within the circuitry of a computer, allowing the devices both inside and attached to the system unit to communicate with each other. In a network, the physical cable that connects the computers and other devices in a bus network. A network has a bus topology if all the computers attach to the same cable. computers and networks business software business software Application software that assists people in becoming more efficient and effective while performing their daily business activities. computers and networks byte (B) byte (B) Eight bits that are grouped together as a unit. A byte provides enough different combinations of 0s and 1s to represent 256 individual characters. computers and networks cache cache Area of memory that stores the contents of frequently used data or instructions. computers and networks central processing unit central processing unit See processor. computers and networks chip chip Small piece of semi conducting material, usually silicon, on which integrated circuits are etched. computers and networks circuit-switched system circuit-switched system A system in which there is a fixed connection between two points on a network, through which a transmission is sent. computers and networks client/server network client/server network Network in which one or more computers act as a server, and the other computers on the network request services from the server. computers and networks client client Computer on a network that requests resources from the server. computers and networks clock cycle clock cycle One tick of the system clock. computers and networks clock speed clock speed Pace of the system clock, measured by the number of ticks (clock cycles) per second. computers and networks computer computer Electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use. computers and networks connector connector Device that joins a cable to a peripheral. computers and networks control unit control unit Component of a processor that directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer. computers and networks cpu CPU See processor. computers and networks daisy chain daisy chain Method of attaching multiple peripherals in which the first USB device connects to the USB port on the computer, the second USB device connects to the first USB device, the third USB device connects to the second USB device, and so on. computers and networks data bus data bus Part of a bus that transfers actual data. computers and networks desktop desktop On-screen work area that has a graphical user interface. computers and networks developer developer See programmer. computers and networks digital digital Representation of data using only two discrete states: on (1) and off (0). computers and networks domain name system (DNS) domain name system (DNS) A system that links domain names to IP addresses. computers and networks execute execute Process of a computer carrying out the instructions in a program. computers and networks firmware firmware ROM chips that contain permanently written data, instructions, or information, recorded on the chips when they were manufactured. computers and networks freeware freeware Software provided at no cost to use by an individual or company. computers and networks garbage in, garbage out garbage in, garbage out A computing phrase meaning roughly "the accuracy of a computer's output depends on the accuracy of the input." computers and networks gigabyte (GB) gigabyte (GB) Exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes (2 to the power of 30), often rounded to 1 billion. computers and networks gigahertz (GHz) gigahertz (GHz) One billion ticks of the system clock per second. computers and networks hardware hardware Electric, electronic, and mechanical components contained in a computer. computers and networks icon icon A small image displayed on the screen that represents a program, a document, or some other object. computers and networks information processing cycle information processing cycle Series of input, process, output, and storage activities performed by a computer. computers and networks information system information system Collection of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures that work together to produce quality information computers and networks input device input device Any hardware component that allows users to enter date and instructions into a computer. computers and networks input input Data entered into a computer system. computers and networks instructions instructions Steps that tell the computer how to perform a particular task. computers and networks intranet intranet A network that is set up for internal use within an organization. computers and networks kilobyte (KB or K) kilobyte (KB or K) Exactly 1,024 bytes (2 to the power of 10). computers and networks load load Process of a computer copying a program from storage to memory. computers and networks mainframe mainframe Large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously, storing tremendous amounts of data, instructions, and information. computers and networks megabyte (MB) megabyte (MB) Exactly 1,048,576 bytes (2 to the power of 20), often rounded to 1 million. computers and networks memory cache memory cache Cache that helps speed the processes of a computer by storing frequently used instructions and data. computers and networks memory module memory module Small circuit board that houses RAM chips and is held in a memory slot on the motherboard. computers and networks memory slots memory slots Slots on the motherboard that hold memory modules. computers and networks memory memory Electronic components in a computer that store instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by those instructions. computers and networks microsecond microsecond One millionth of a second. computers and networks microwaves microwaves Radio waves that provide a high-speed signal transmission. computers and networks midrange server midrange server Server that is more powerful and larger than a workstation computer, typically supporting several hundred and sometimes up to a few thousand connected computers at the same time. computers and networks moore's law Moore's law An observation made in 1965 by Gordon Moore that the number of transistors on a chip (and thus its speed) doubles roughly every 18 months. computers and networks motherboard motherboard Main circuit board of the system unit, which has some electronic components attached to it and others built into it. computers and networks multimedia multimedia Any application that combines text, graphics, audio, and video. computers and networks nanosecond nanosecond One billionth of a second. computers and networks network topology network topology Layout of computers and devices in a communications network. computers and networks network network Collection of computers and devices connected together via communications devices and transmission media, allowing computers to share resources. computers and networks neural network neural network System that attempts to imitate the behavior of the human body. computers and networks online online Describes the state of a computer when it is connected to a network. computers and networks operating system operating system Set of programs that coordinates all the activities among computer hardware devices. computers and networks output device output device Any hardware component that conveys information to one or more people. computers and networks output output Data that has been processed into a useful form. computers and networks packaged software packaged software Mass produced, copyrighted retail software that meets the needs of a variety of users, not just a single user or company. computers and networks packet-switched system packet-switched system A system in which transmissions are broken up into pieces and routed separately. computers and networks parallel port parallel port Type of interface that connects devices to the system unit by transferring more than one bit at a time. computers and networks parallel processing parallel processing Processing method that uses multiple processors simultaneously to execute a program in order to speed processing times. computers and networks peripheral peripheral Device that connects to a system unit and is controlled by the processor in the computer. computers and networks petabyte (PB) petabyte (PB) Exactly 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes (2 to the power of 50), often rounded to 1 quadrillion. computers and networks port port Point at which a peripheral attaches to a system unit so it can send data to or receive information from the computer. computers and networks processor processor Electronic component on a computer's motherboard that interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate the computer. Also called the CPU or central processing unit. computers and networks program program See software. computers and networks programmer programmer Person who writes and modifies computer programs. See from developer. computers and networks public-domain software public-domain software A software program that is not copyrighted. computers and networks random access memory (RAM) random access memory (RAM) Type of memory that can be read from and written to by the processor and other devices. Programs and data are loaded into RAM from storage devices such as a hard disk and remain in RAM as long as the computer has continuous power. computers and networks read-only memory (rom) read-only memory (ROM) Type of nonvolatile memory that is used to store permanent data and instructions. computers and networks resolution resolution The number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device. computers and networks response time response time The time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes to turn a pixel on or off. computers and networks ring ring A network has a ring topology if a cable forms a closed loop (ring) with all computers and devices arranged along the ring. Data is transmitted around the ring unidirectionally. computers and networks run run Process of using software. computers and networks serial port serial port Type of interface that connects a device to the system unit by transmitting data one bit at a time. computers and networks software software Series of instructions that tells a computer what to do and how to do it. See from program. computers and networks star star A network has a star topology if all the computers attach directly to a hub. computers and networks supercomputer supercomputer Fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computer, capable of processing more than 100 trillion instructions in a single second. computers and networks system clock system clock Small quartz crystal circuit that is used by the processor to control the timing of all computer operations. computers and networks system unit system unit Case that contains the electronic components of a computer that are used to process data. computers and networks terabyte (TB) terabyte (TB) Exactly 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (2 to the power of 40), often rounded to one trillion. computers and networks token ring token ring Network standard in which computers and devices on the network share or pass a special signal, called a token, in a unidirectional manner and in a preset order. computers and networks transfer time transfer time The amount of time it takes for data to be transferred from one place to another. computers and networks transistor transistor Element of an integrated circuit that can act as an electronic switch that opens or closes the circuit for electrical charges. computers and networks unicode Unicode 16-bit coding scheme that has the capability of representing more than 65,000 characters and symbols. computers and networks user user Anyone who communicates with a computer or utilizes the information it generates. computers and networks utility program utility program Type of system software that allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs. See from utility. computers and networks utility utility See utility program. computers and networks virtual private network (VPN) virtual private network (VPN) A network that uses the public infrastructure but maintains privacy through access control or encryption. computers and networks volatile memory volatile memory Type of memory that loses its contents when a computer's power is turned off. computers and networks web application web application Application software that exists on a Web site. computers and networks word size word size Number of bits a computer can interpret and execute at a given time. computers and networks batch processing batch processing A software architecture in which tasks are saved up and executed all at once building and deploying systems computers and networks peer-to-peer peer-to-peer A software architecture in which all data and computation are distributed building and deploying systems computers and networks timesharing timesharing A software architecture in which all users use the same machine building and deploying systems computers and networks storage medium storage medium The physical material on which a computer keeps data, instructions and information. storage media computers and networks system software system software The interface between the user, the application software, and the computer's hardware. computers and networks computers and networks information information Processed data that is organized, meaningful, and useful, including documents, audio, images, and video. databases computers and networks latency latency The time it takes a signal to travel from one location to another on a network. internet computers and networks local area network (LAN) local area network (LAN) Network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school computer laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings. internet computers and networks receiving device receiving device Device that accepts the transmission of data, instructions, or information. internet computers and networks sending device sending device Device that initiates instructions to transmit data, instructions, or information. internet computers and networks server server Computer that controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network and provides a centralized storage area for programs, data, and information. internet computers and networks transmission control protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Network standard, specifically a protocol, that defines how messages (data) are routed from one end of a network to the other, ensuring that the data arrives correctly. internet computers and networks shareware shareware Copyrighted software distributed at no cost for a trial period. programming computers and networks storage device storage device Hardware used to record (write and/or read) items to and from storage media. storage media computers and networks